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Matthew Ellzey
Matthew Ellzey (26 May 1909 - 14 July 2011) was a U.S. Navy submarine ace during World War II. Early Life and Career Ellzey was born in Marthasville, Louisiana on 26 May 1909 to Harvell Ellzey, Sr. (1881-1956) and Helen Ellzey (1881-1964). He was the second of three children, all of whom served during World War II; his brother, Harvell Ellzey, Jr. (1907-1994) joined the U.S. Army Air Corps, and his sister Jean (1918-1958) was an officer in the WAVES program. At the time of Matt's birth, his father was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army, having served in the Spanish-American War. When Matt was five years old, World War I broke out in Europe, and he was eight when his father, by now a Battalion Sergeant Major, was shipped overseas to fight in the trenches. Harvell Ellzey, Sr. would retire from the Army as a Master Sergeant in 1925. In 1927, at the age of eighteen, Ellzey was fortunate enough to secure an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. He entered the Academy as a Midshipman on 1 June 1927, and graduated the U.S. Naval Academy on 4 June 1931 as an Ensign, having placed twelfth in his class overall, and was extremely proud to be assigned to the battleship USS Arizona (BB-39). While serving aboard Arizona, he was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade on 4 June 1934. The following month, he briefly transferred to shore duty before being assigned to submarine training at the Submarine School in New London, Connecticut. While in Connecticut, Ellzey met and married Christina Merrin (1913-2008), the daughter of William Merrin, president and founder of Merrin Financial in Hartford. Ellzey's new in-laws were less than pleased with their daughter's choice in husband; every time the couple visited the elder Merrins, William Merrin pressured Ellzey to resign from the Navy and take an offer of employment with his insurance firm. Upon graduation from Submarine School, Ellzey was assigned to the submarine USS S-44 (SS-155), and later USS S-34 (SS-139). Upon completion of these assignments, he remained on sea duty and reported aboard USS Permit (SS-178) and then USS Shark (SS-174). Promoted to Lieutenant on 31 December 1939, he was briefly assigned to duty at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and then as Assistant Navigator of the cruiser USS Wichita (CA-45). In May 1941, he was appointed Prospective Commanding Officer (PCO) of USS S-30 (SS-135), and commanded her on training missions out of New London. Home life was not smooth sailing for Ellzey at this time; now that he was back in New London, his father-in-law had renewed his insistence that Ellzey retire from the Navy and take up a lucrative civilian job. Ellzey of course refused, knowing that with the War in Europe going on it was only a matter of time before America was forced into joining the fight. On 1 December 1941, Ellzey was sent orders to report to Pearl Harbor within a week. His wife refused to move to Pearl Harbor with him, informing that she was staying with her parents and that if he went to Hawaii to expect divorce papers within three weeks. Ellzey attempted to change her mind, but was unable to sway her decision in the time he had left, so he sadly bid her farewell and took the next train to San Diego on 5 December. He was passing through Denver, Colorado when news of the attack on Pearl Harbor was received, and he arrived in Pearl Harbor on 9 December 1941 to find he had been promoted to Lieutenant Commander and appointed Commanding Officer of the submarine USS Gudgeon (SS-211). World War II 1st War Patrol: 10 December 1941 - 16 January 1942 Ellzey took his new boat out on her first war patrol the following day, heading to enemy waters off Honshu with orders to sink enemy shipping. He sighted the enemy for the first time on 23 December 1941 when Gudgeon happened upon a merchant ship escorted by two destroyers SE of Miyazaki. Ignoring the warships, Ellzey - figuring the merchant must be important to have two destroyers escorting it - fired three torpedoes and made his escape. All three torpedoes slammed into the port side of troop transport Ayayuki Maru (1,753 GRT) with devastating effect: the first hit aft set off a massive explosion, while the second was a direct hit amidships. Cold seawater poured into Ayayuki Maru's hull, the shock of the icy seawater meeting her red-hot boilers causing them to explode and adding to the chaos on board. The third torpedo struck under the ship's bridge, but by now it was simply overkill; mortally wounded by the first hit alone, Ayayuki Maru sank in about two minutes, carrying with her all but nineteen of the nearly 230 people - most of them Imperial Japanese Army soldiers en route to Malaysia - aboard. The destroyers attempted to hunt for Gudgeon, but she slipped away without being detected. The following day Gudgeon sank her first tanker - the small old tanker Jinho Maru (1,618 GRT) S of Shikoku: two torpedo hits near the stern under the ship's stack set off massive explosions that set the tanker ablaze for her entire length. Once again, Gudgeon slipped away undetected. On Christmas Day, the submarine was SSE of Toyohama when the auxiliary oiler Totsuba Maru (10,007 GRT) was sighted. Wanting to give his crew a nice Christmas present, Ellzey ordered an attack. All three torpedoes hit and exploded: the first aft, just forward of the stack, the second directly amidships, and the third under the mainmast. The last hit started small fires on deck, but apparently set off something internally, for seconds later the stern of the tanker erupted in a massive fireball. She sank stern-first within five minutes, a significant kill for Gudgeon as she had been en route to refuel the Japanese carrier force that had attacked Pearl Harbor. New Year's Eve saw Ellzey give his crew a bit of gunnery practice when Gudgeon encountered a pair of 200-ton fishing boats near the site of Totsuba Maru's sinking. On New Year's Day 1942, the small freighter Ayami Maru (1,854 GRT) was attacked: two torpedo hits - the second setting off a huge explosion - sent her to the bottom shortly before dawn. Later that afternoon, Gudgeon sighted a Fubuki-class destroyer at extremely long range; the submarine fired two torpedoes at the Japanese warship, but both missed. The destroyer commenced hunting for Gudgeon, but the Japanese guessed the submarine was nearby, not at maximum range, and therefore never got close enough to detect their attacker. Ellzey headed out of the area, pointing Gudgeon west; he had a daring plan that he hoped would work. Before dawn the following morning, Gudgeon attacked the port of Miyazaki, sinking the old tanker Senho Maru (5,090 GRT), the small freighter Nichito Maru (1,859 GRT) and another large tanker, the Hatsuyuki Maru (10,047 tons). The one auxiliary gunboat the Japanese had guarding the port was docked and in the midst of refueling, and by the time she cut loose from the pier and got underway, Gudgeon was long gone. The following day, Gudgeon was back south of Shikoku when she found another target: this time the old freighter Akiraki Maru (4,073 GRT). Two torpedoes hit the ship on her port side aft of the smokestack, causing her to settle by the stern. Thinking she was merely badly damaged, Ellzey fired a third torpedo to finish her off, but Akiraki Maru sank before the torpedo could reach her. Down to only three torpedoes, Gudgeon continued her search for targets into the following day. On 4 January 1942, she sighted another small old tanker, the Biko Maru (1,638 GRT). Ellzey made a mistake while setting up for his attack; he left his periscope settings on regular, not zoomed in like usual. Therefore, upon looking through the scope, he figured Biko Maru to be some distance away. By the time he realized his error, the ship was only 600 yards off; Ellzey frantically ordered the last three torpedoes fired, and at this distance, the target had no chance to avoid them. All three hit and Biko Maru disintegrated in a violent explosion. Now out of torpedoes, Ellzey ordered his submarine back to Pearl Harbor. Gudgeon returned to Pearl Harbor on 16 January 1942, having sunk eleven ships for 38,339 tons and making Ellzey the star of the Silent Service. He was presented with the Silver Star upon Gudgeon's arrival. A small Movietone newsreel titled "Gudgeon Gets 'Em!" was produced during the submarine's time in port; Ellzey declined to be interviewed, but did allow film footage to be taken of him chatting on the conning tower with his Executive Officer. Second War Patrol: Promotions * Midshipman - 1 June 1927 * Ensign - 4 June 1931 * Lieutenant Junior Grade - 4 June 1934 * Lieutenant - 31 December 1939 * Lieutenant Commander - 9 December 1941 Awards * Silver Star - 16 January 1942 * American Defense Service Medal - 26 July 1941 * Distinguished Marksmanship Ribbon * Submarine Warfare Badge * Submarine Combat Patrol Insignia